Kiss
by Beacon
Summary: It was just innocent teasing, and yet somehow, Zuko couldn't help himself.


An: Oh boy, This little plot bunny has been jumping around my head for a while, and now that it's finally out, well…. I really need to get some sleep.

THE FOLLOWING IS IMPORTANT; I've been having a lot of trouble with lately, something about refusing to let me create new stories and/or adding new chapters to old stories has rubbed me the wrong way, and I've been seriously considered moving to another site, maybe livejournal, but nothing has been decided yet. It is not guaranteed that I'll be moving, but if problems persist for me, I may be forced to move. SO, the reason why I'm telling you guys this is that if you want to keep reading my work after this, it may not be here, and you guys will have to find it somewhere else. If I do end up moving, I'll make sure to post the link in my profile so you guys can find it.

Wooo… That being said, I'm rather fond of this story, I thought it up at camp, and wrote it down with three different endings. The one I used was my friends favorite, but if you want an alternate ending, just P.M me and I can send them to you. Alrighty, on with the story!

Disclaimer: oo… I wish, but a wish never caught me a fish… so I don't think it'll get me ATLA…

Kiss

Though not many people could call Sokka cruel or cold hearted, the young heir to the Southern Water Tribe was know for his love of a few hobbies. The first being that Sokka loved to kick Fire Nation butt, but then again, any self-respecting warrior either Earth or Water would agree this was a worthy hobby. The second? He simply loved to tease said nation's banished prince… even if they were no longer enemies.

Any topic on which the said prince had failed (and Sokka had conveniently triumphed at) was fair game for the boy to use. Subjects including living up to family expectations and abilities as a warrior often came up (though often Katara cut in with a snide remark about Sokka's 'great' warrior skills.) Zuko usually handled the remarks quite well, a quiet huff, an occasional snarl and his own muttered remark returned, and even an attempted, half-hearted smack across the head when he grew frustrated enough with the slightly younger boy.

However, the path the five travelers were traveling today seemed extra long and extra boring, or at least Sokka claimed so, and the pestering started earlier than usual. By the time they reached an inn that evening, Sokka had worn out his usual topics and moved on to new material. Zuko's face was growing darker and darker and his glares were becoming more and more murderous as Sokka took delight in his newfound subject, which just happened to be 'experience with the ladies', as he put it.

The inn room they rented was small and cramped, barely enough room for the five beds and a divider to be squeezed in, and then a place for their bags. Everyone was tired, even Sokka, though he refused to give up his teasing, and each gulped down their food before the curled up in their separate corners. Katara and Toph sat together, Katara running a brush through Toph's tangled hair, with Aang curled close by, trying and failing miserably to break up the spat between Zuko and Sokka.

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me you've never once had a girlfriend? And I thought the dark, brooding types like you were supposed to be popular." Sokka chuckled at his own joke.

"It's not like you've had any more experience," Zuko huffed angrily, running a hand through his short hair and trying to keep his temper in check. It was this kind of conversation that always rubbed him the wrong way.

"Dude, I've had a lot more experience than you."

"Name them," Zuko snapped wearily. His cot was starting to look very appealing, but there was no way he was going to back down on this fight.

"Umm, Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe ring a bell? Oh, and on Kyoshi Island, you know the bunch of girls who kicked your ass? Yeah? Well their leader and I are like this," Sokka crossed his fingers and proceeded to wave them in Zuko's face.

"Come on Sokka, Zuko will find someone eventually, and besides, does it really matter? If for some reason you do find the need to finish this conversation, you guys can pick this up in the morning, we're all tired and we need our rest." Aang cut in, and Katara smiled at the whimper in his voice.

However, Zuko, annoyed with the last comment, ignored the Avatar and growled out. "It's not like I've never _been_ liked, Mai had a crush on me when we were little, and then there was this girl named Song…"

"Did you kiss 'em?" Sokka smirked as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed behind his head.

"No… but I don-"

"Then it doesn't count," Sokka replied smugly and stuck his tongue out at the literally fuming fire bender. "It doesn't count unless you kissed them."

When Zuko growled low in his throat, Sokka smirked again, and then put on a sarcastic look of sympathy. "Awww, it's ok Zuko-wuko, you'll get your fist kiss someday." He made a kissy face at Zuko and then laughed softly to himself, amused by his cleverness.

This however seemed to be the last straw for Zuko, who without another word, stood and stormed over to where Katara and Toph were sitting. Toph, feeling him come closer and sensing his anger scampered out of the way, leaving Katara staring blankly up at the angry prince.

"Zuko what are you…" Katara was cut off when Zuko dropped to his knees in front of her and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her lips. Katara found her eyes drifting shut at the comforting warmth of the prince, and then as quickly as the pressure had landed on her lips, it was gone, and Katara found herself blinking rather dazedly around the room.

There was a moment of absolute silence where Aang stared with wide bulging eyes, Toph stifled a laugh and Sokka gasped like a fish, and then Zuko, smirking and muttering softly, "There, I've kissed your sister", broke it. Sokka stared at him in absolute shock, and then his eyebrows furrowed dangerously.

Zuko slept in the hall that night.

Fin.

An: Please review, it helps me to write when I know your opinions!


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